The Origin of Gender Roles Essay -- Essays Papers

The Origin of Gender RolesThe root of all gender issues which presently experience in society may be traced back to The Creation Story in Genesis. This crucial chapter of the sacred scripture provides evidence supporting that God think for gentleman and woman to exist as equals, yet he assigned gender roles once ex and Eve disobeyed him by eating the fruit from the forbidden corner of good and evil. Thus, men have been characterized as the breadwinners and women as child be arers and housekeepers since the beginning of humanity. The story of Lilith as Adams supposed offshoot wife suggests Adam took on a patriarchal role from the beginning, yet Lilith refused to accept his assumed superiority. She initially challenges him, and then leaves him she represents a rebellious, yet independent woman. Although these two stories on the first man and woman are significantly different, the two convey that men and women have been trapped in certain roles since the beginning of time, a nd have always had a power struggle between them. Gender issues have not evolved over time they have always existed.Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man (Gen. 222).The order of human creation in Genesis calls into question whether it was intended for a hierarchy to exist between genders. Since Eve is created from Adams rib, and as his helper, it is argued she is created merely to support him, and that she derives from him. These claims have connotations of inferiority. However, other evidence in the Bible proves God did not intend for man to be put above woman. He created both in his image, from the earth, and with the intention they would come together to form cardinal flesh. Therefore, sinc... ... patriarchal text. It argues for womens presence in the Bible, and deeply explores the stories of prominent female biblical characters.Swidler, Leonard. Biblical Affirmations of Woman. Philadelphia, Pen nsylvania The Westminster Press, 1979. Swidler compares the status of women from the biblical period to that of women from the post-biblical period. The author excessively evaluates the positive and negative aspects of Jewish and Christian biblical traditions, yet puts more effort into exploring the positive elements of the biblical tradition as far as women are concerned.The Bible. This is the King James Version which is most commonly used and analyzed. It is the core to many religions, and narrates the stories of all prominent biblical figures from the Old Testament to the New Testament.